Cyclone Idai - Mozambique - Malawi

Cyclone IdaiA violent cyclone struck Mozambique on March 14th devastating a vast region, including the city of Beira. It has left hundreds of victims and thousands of displaced people behind. The DREAM Centre for HIV care and the Nutritional Centre in Beira were seriously damaged. Nonetheless, the two centres provided a first shelter to hundreds of displaced people, who had lost everything and Sant’Egidio volunteers promptly started distributing food, water, medicines and clothes. The DREAM people decided to get to neighbourhoods and schools where the displaced people are staying. As the second access roads were restored, they tried to reach the most isolated villages surrounding Beira. Every day 1,000 hot meals are served to poor children at the Nutritional Centre.

Since April 3rd Sant’Egidio has been engaged alongside the WHO, the UNICEF and the Mozambican Ministry of Health, in a vaccination campaign to prevent the spread of cholera caused by the use of contaminated water after the cyclone. On the first day of the campaign, the DREAM doctors vaccinated 8 thousand people.